For years the street sweeper in our neighborhood came the day after trash collection, which made sense because usually stuff gets blown around when they empty the trash barrels. But now the sweeper comes a day or two before trash collection. Is there a reason why the schedule was changed?

– Jane Aull

Torrance

The city changed the schedule to prevent trash and recycling pickup from falling on the same day as street sweeping after a holiday.

Unlike the trash-collection schedule, the city cannot delay its street-sweeping routes because it has posted no-parking signs in some areas to accommodate the sweepers. Posted areas can be found on streets near schools and apartment buildings where street parking is at a premium, but they are not limited to those areas.

Before the change, streets were swept the day after trash collection. On weeks where a holiday pushed the trash collection back one day, garbage pickup and street sweeping would occur on the same day.

Now areas formerly swept Tuesday are swept Wednesday, Wednesday on Thursday, Thursday on Monday, and Friday on Tuesday.

Street sweeping still takes place from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If a holiday falls on a street-sweeping day, that area’s sweeping will be skipped, says the city’s street sweeping Web page, www.torranceca.gov/1879.htm.

– Stephanie Walton

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